ACC sues Barkat, Rubel over amassing illegal wealth

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has filed two separate cases against Sajjad Hossain Barkat, former general secretary of Faridpur town unit Awami League, and his brother Imtiaz Hossain Rubel, former president of Faridpur Press Club, for allegedly acquiring illegal assets. 

The ACC alleged that the two brothers amassed illegal assets worth about Tk73 crore and concealed information of wealth worth around Tk54 crore.

ACC Deputy Director Ali Akbar filed the cases on Thursday, said ACC Secretary Dilawar Bakht.

According to the case statement, Sajjad Hossain Barkat acquired ownership of assets worth around Tk44.5 crore illegally. In his statement of assets submitted to the ACC, he hid the information of immovable and movable assets worth around Tk36.4 crore.

In another case, Imtiaz Hossain Rubel was accused of illegally acquiring property worth around Tk28 crore and concealing information of movable and immovable property worth Tk17.9 crore in his statement of assets.

Earlier, on 26 June the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) filed a case at Kafrul Police Station in the capital against Sajjad Hossain Barkat and his brother Imtiaz Hasan Rubel for illegal income and laundering Tk2,000 crore.

The CID took Rubel and Barkat on a five-day remand in the case. The brothers revealed the names of many of their accomplices during the interrogation.

In October, a Dhaka court ordered to freeze off 88 bank accounts of five people including Sazzad Hossain Barkat and his brother Imtiaz Hasan Rubel. The three other bank account holders were – Barkat's wife Afroz Akter Parvin, Rubel's wife Soheli Imroz Punom and Abdus Sadeq Mukul.

District BCL president Nishan Mahmud Shamim was also arrested based on Rubel and Barkat's confession and information. 

Earlier, city Awami League President Nazmul Islam Khandaker Levy and district Sramik League Finance Secretary Bellal Hossain were arrested in connection to the case.